Fissured, hairy, and geographic tongue

Test

Usually no tests are necessary.

Test

Only to be considered when clinical diagnosis is in doubt. Patients with geographic or fissured tongue are typically diagnosed clinically due to characteristic clinical appearance.

If a patient with hairy tongue is not responding to treatment with mechanical debridement, a biopsy may be considered. In addition, a biopsy may be needed in HIV-positive and immunosuppressed patients to help differentiate from oral hairy leukoplakia.